Thirteen
by Archilochus
Summary: Jimmy and Cindy spend some quality time together. But everyone knows, being thirteen is never easy.


**Thirteen**

"Jimmy, quick, you gotta get outta here!?" Cindy Vortex exclaimed. She tried to push the boy genius off her bed and towards the window, but he wouldn't budge.

"I already told you Cindy, I got it covered," Jimmy said.

"Don't you hear my mom?" the blonde whispered in a shrill voice. Indeed, the sound of approaching footsteps was coming from somewhere on the other side of Cindy's door. "Now get out, for both our sakes!"

"Just watch." Jimmy slunk into the corner of Cindy's room and put a finger to his watch. He grinned smugly at Cindy.

"_Jimmy_!" Cindy cried. A second later, her door opened and in strode Mrs. Vortex. Cindy's mother glanced coldly around the room before her penetrating green eyes settled on Cindy. She and Cindy had the same eyes. Cindy looked back at the corner where Jimmy had been standing, but it was empty. He had vanished.

"What was that noise Cynthia?" Mrs. Vortex demanded. "It sounded like you were talking to someone."

"Oh that," Cindy said with a chuckle. "I was just practicing for this play we're doing in Literature. The teacher told us to memorize our lines."

"Then why did it sound like you were talking to someone else?" Mrs. Vortex inquired. Cindy gulped. Unfortunately, she had also inherited her smarts from her mother.

"Because…the part I was rehearsing, it's an exchange between this girl and her brother. Butch is playing the brother, so I'm memorizing his lines too, in case he messes up. Mrs. Wingo is pretty generous about giving extra credit."

"Very resourceful Cynthia," Mrs. Vortex oozed. "Keep up the good work." Mrs. Vortex turned around to leave, but suddenly she jumped, as if something had struck her. "What on earth was-" she whirled to check behind her, meeting only air. She frowned. "Strange…" Giving the room a quick look-over, she walked through the threshold and closed the door. Cindy rolled on her back once she had left and started laughing.

"You added a cloaking device to your watch?! Nice one Jimmy!"

Jimmy materialized into view, right behind where Mrs. Vortex had been standing. "Now where were we?" he said. He hopped onto bed next to Cindy, who brought out the plans for his latest invention from under her sheets. She had hid them when her mother came in.

"I'm thinking that the new rocket needs to be bigger," Cindy said. She took a red pen and made a note in the margin of one of the papers. On the paper was a detailed blueprint of Jimmy's new rocket, drawn completely to scale. His old one was little more than a heap of rusty metal, and in dire need of replacement.

"But if we increase the size," Jimmy said, pointing at the scale with his pencil, "it'll be too big to launch from the clubhouse."

"Which is why you can open a hole somewhere in your backyard and set up a launching pad in the lab directly below. You can program the hole too so that it opens when you launch and doesn't leave a big gap in the yard." Cindy took a blank paper and illustrated her idea.

"I like the way you think," Jimmy said. "How about–" but he was interrupted by his watch, which started beeping. He groaned in exasperation. "Dog gonnit, I gotta blast. I have to finish that paper with Carl and Sheen."

"Oh already," Cindy whined. "But we just got started."

"I know," Jimmy said. "But I'm supposed to be there now. We all have to write a small portion of the paper and I have to make sure Carl and Sheen do their share."

"I know, I know." Cindy looked at Jimmy for a moment until their eyes met. She smiled. "Whoever thought we'd be _trying _to spend time together, huh?" Jimmy laughed.

"Yeah I know. I wish we could hang out at school, but that _blasted_ cousin of yours!" Cindy became furious.

"I swear, Aunt Susie couldn't have raised a bigger tattletale if she tried. Can you believe he told my mom we were hanging out in lunch period?"

"We'll get him back, don't your worry!" Jimmy assured. His jaw tightened resolutely. Cindy mirrored him. They were thirteen. They were in love. But they could not be together.

"We'll find some way to be together Cindy, I promise." The Vortex girl gave a small, sad smile as she watched the boy nod and, with one last glance, slip out the window.

**Disclaimer - I do not own Jimmy Neutron, it characters, nor any other shows, characters, music, and/or movies that may be referenced.**


End file.
